Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

You've already started haven't you? That's okay...one or two cheese biscuits.....some pumpkin pie....the oven makes the kitchen warm and inviting now that the chilly winter weather is starting to find us.

An egg nog toast here, a chocolate truffle there....and you just want to cuddle up all roly poly and hibernate. Who cares about your pants fitting? Charlie Brown's holiday special is on and you can finally take those big sweats and college sweatshirts out of the closet.

Maybe you've got a handle on all the holiday goodies; mindful of the potential tummy aches and turkey-induced nap times. Or perhaps you're anxious because the holidays produce for you a stress-boosting, eat everything in sight to drown out the family squabbles over religion and politics feeling - an emotional stuffing of sorts.

This year may be a super celebration; new family, new baby, new guests, new environment; or this November could be the hardest season you have ever had to face financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually - wondering just how you're going to feed your family.....

Let's be mindful of all possible scenarios that affect our Sista's and Brothers everywhere this year.

Here are a few of my own Thanksgiving Relaxation Tips (I'm the oldest of six kids, so I have six tips):

1. Take a deep breath (try for 3) and count backward from 10 to 1 when you are faced with potential conflicts, arguments, challenges, bills, your Aunt's impossible recipe, a mountain of dishes, your favorite football team losing... or those crazy shopping lines (Kohl's opens at 4am on 'Black Friday' - WHAT?!! That's insane.....{Breathe, Natalie, Breathe...} I'm going to be dreaming of sugarplums.....)

2. Avoid over-indulging on caffeine, alcohol and sugar (after that initial first helping so as not to insult your Grandma who's been cooking for days). Strengthen your body with foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Your healthy diet (make your plate colorful) can help you remain calm in high-stress situations. You can always detox by DRINKING MORE WATER!

3. Before attempting any big endeavor (hosting your first Thanksgiving, cooking yourself, interviews, tests, a big game, or any other activity that can make you nervous or anxious) visualize yourself doing it in a calm and relaxed manner. See yourself coming out on top; succeeding in grand fashion! Imagine all the possible positive scenarios in your mind. See how many ways you can envision an outstanding outcome!

4. If you know that there will be something anxious coming your way (the aunts who always keep steering the conversation to how you've grown older and wider, or the cousin who keeps trying to set you up on blind holiday dates because you look lonely....the mortgage that seems scary...the turkey catching on fire...the homework you haven't done....the office party you don't want to go to...too much free time and you're bored......or any other face-cringing National Lampoon's moment or strange conversation) TAKE A TIME OUT!!! Go for a walk, take a power nap, journal your feelings, hit or kick a ball at the park (nothing beats Thanksgiving Day football at the park or in the backyard), go to the batting cages, and BREATHE (remember step #1?); BREATHE DEEP, take a break from the stress, and see everything going well; Soft music, light a candle, close your eyes and see your happy place.

5. Exercise on a regular basis. Try your best to be consistently good to your body during the holidays. Do reps with the gallons of milk you just brought in from the car.....challenge your brother to push ups....do calf raises as you do the dishes....This will help you to better regulate the impact that anxiety and stress (and too much turkey and pie) can have on your life.

6. Remember: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! YOU ARE LOVED!

QUOTE FOR THANKSGIVING:

"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead. Do not write them on their tombstones; speak them rather now instead." - Anna Cummins

THE "Olympic Journal"! YES, YOU CAN!!

To your left, one of my recent "Olympic Journals" - and does that mean you have to train like an Olympian 16 hours a day, seven days a week, sign up for the bobsled team or drink egg yolks for breakfast? No, no, no, Relax....being an Olympian is all about HEART and SPIRIT, PERSEVERANCE and DESIRE...You witnessed it this summer while watching the 2008 games in China. We laugh, cry, smile and sing along with the anthem; cheer our favorite athletes; marvel at the heroic stories of what seemed like impossible odds for some of these determined individuals who dared to dream their dream and make it a reality.

I have always enjoyed "journaling" to me it's the same as journeying, and it's all about the journey.!Writing has always been a positive outlet for me. When you journal you can set goals and stick to them; you can note all the joys and frustrations of the day (because trust me, no matter how good your memory you will forget, so write it down); you can keep track of your progress; you can channel your feelings into therapeutic letters; and most importantly you can look back on the wonderful ever-evolving creation - YOU! After my college softball career I found that I could easily fill the hours that used to belong to training and competition with, what else? - WORK. Very easy to do.....get out there and start helping people....only problem - I missed the key elements that made me happy and healthy everyday for years - my SISTA'S who served as a support system for getting through hard times, tough practices, cheered when I was driving runs in, and picked me up when they knew I could do better....my SISTA'S held me accountable, and were oh so much fun to be with. Second, I desperately missed the time that was scheduled for me daily to get STRONGER: cardio, strength training, batting practice, defense work, team building, the joy of traveling and competing all of the world....and though I consider myself to be well-disciplined, having to keep tabs on just ME proved difficult. Thankfully, I had a great friend/trainer, "Jules" a college basketball player herself, teacher and trainer, she made me start an "Olympic Journal" - "But I already keep lots of journals," I said....Jules: "This one is different," -

This one you take with you EVERYWHERE; in your backpack, your briefcase, your dinner/dance purse, your car, truck, train or plane - and you write EVERYTHING down; what you eat, drink, how your body feels, what you're thinking, what your wants and needs are....after a while I felt like I was in one of those Nike test labs where they monitor the ELITE to see what makes them tick and what will make them BETTER....and when I wrote down goals, I would stick to them...."5:00 am - Beach Run/Dunes" ....I remember distinctly missing one....I was tired, I figured, "hey, I'm just going to skip this one....who am I letting down? - just me....I don't have a coach or a team to think about, so what's the big deal....it's not like I'm on the Olympic team or anything..." AND that proved to be the biggest learning day of my independent training (before Europe in 2004). My trainer and dear friend Jules had to lay it out coach style for me - a pep talk that I was used to giving, but haven't received in a long time....not since my dad and coach John (Old Man John the Pirate Super Coach) back in the Dirt Bag Days in Ontario rec ball. Not only was I letting my friend down - who was taking time out of her day to train me; give me the support I was missing - but I was letting myself down - and not taking advantage of the gifts that the universe was providing me....a healthy body, a friend who loves me enough to get up and run with me at 5:00am, a beach on which to run, how many of us have a beach that we can walk to and take advantage of? I had the privilege of paving the way for other athletes....I was soon to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to play softball in different countries!!!! C'mon NAT, get out of bed, hug your trainer, and dance on the sand.....run up that dune and raise your arms up Rocky style when you get there! Having an energetic workout buddy to cheer you on certainly helps.....we recruited a super star collegiate soccer player to join us too; Kelly - and we made the most of our San Francisco terrain - beaches, tracks, bridges, weight rooms, you name it....we ran it, or jumped it, or lifted it.

I wrote prayers in my journal: "Please God, let me get through today....I think Jules is trying to kill me (smiley face)"....I wrote great discoveries, "WOW! I've never in my entire life peed so much...I'll have to ask my mom....but drinking lots of water definitely takes some getting used to." Jules assured me that in two weeks my body would be used to being properly hydrated...and she was right (thank goodness). The goals were increased and I would progress...first it was, lighten up on the coffee, chocolate and sweets and add more water....32oz per day minimum....then 64....then I noticed I was handling 128oz or more per day and I felt AMAZING!! Skin clear, cramps gone (I did toss back a shot full of Tahitian Noni Juice in the morning and at night - a ritual my Avo (Grandfather) does and he's the strongest man I know, so I felt connected to him when I would enjoy the purple stuff in his honor. But never anything other than NATURAL, good stuff....substituted candy for fruits and vegetables....but would have a small, sweet something everyday not to feel deprived.....either my favorite HOT CHOCOLATE or some Hershey kisses......and I didn't miss them as much as I used to. Used to think I was made of doughnuts....turns out, I'm made of muscle, and heart, and smiles and energy!!!!

I decorated the front, inside, and back of my journal - made it my own - to inspire me!

NOW MAKE YOUR OWN.....and if you need a WAKE UP CALL or a RUNNING BUDDY, let me know!!!

Struggle & Disappointment

Quote of the week: "Just don't give up trying to do what you really WANT to do. Where there is LOVE and INSPIRATION, I don't think you can go wrong." Ella Fitzgerald

Here I am with one of the strongest women I know - my "madrinha" and "Tia" Madeline; ("Godmother" and "Aunt" in Portuguese) - she is my "mochacappachino" (a tasty nickname for my sweet Tia; a cosmetologist and excellent coffee date), my confidant, my friend, and a cheering fan whether for sports or theater; she is one of my Papa's (I call my dad "Papa") 10 sisters (one of 17 children, he has 10 sisters and six other brothers; they grew up on a dairy in southern California).

This is a picture of us at the opening night of San Francisco State's production of the "Vagina Monologues" back in 2001.....wow, I was only 21 years old!

What does this have to do with struggle? Disappointment? Well, before I signed my letter of intent to SFSU, the advise I was given from concerned administrators and some extended family with good intentions was I should NOT double major while playing sports and definitely do NOT major in theatre as I would have no time to handle all my responsibilities.

Turns out, I did double major, in Theatre and in Political Science; my SFSU Lady Gators (coaches and teammates) were so incredibly supportive that all the challenges seemed like an exciting adventure instead of a daunting task.

I did in fact graduate with honors both athletically and academically from SFSU in May of 2004!

My Madrinha, my Tia Bernadette (her sister), my cousin Kat and my sister Vanessa drove up from so cal to attend the opening of the "Monologues" as my Papa likes to call them, and then drove me to meet my DIV. II softball team in a tournament in Bakersfield, Ca.! This is after we stayed up all night laughing and talking; jumping on my bed, and drinking milkshakes at one of the famous Mel's Diners in the CITY. Love makes anything possible!!

My Madrinha had one daughter, my beautiful cousin Melissa and she was killed in a hit and run car accident on St. Patrick's Day 2006 on the 405 freeway; she was just months shy of her 23 birthday.

Melissa was so effervescent with her inyourface honesty, her infectious and joyous laughter and her uncanny resemblance of my "Ava" Batista's (Grandmother) high school graduation picture. Though she didn't want to be a competitive softball player, she played recreational softball with us because she said spending time with her cousins was so much fun! She knew what was important in life - the fragile and valuable relationships that shape who we are!

Losing Melissa was tragic and the struggle to get through the days without picking up the phone and hearing her voice is extremely difficult. My Madrinha still manages to go on and give her gifts of a beautiful smile, giving heart and talented hair design to the world despite her loss - and I admire her strength!

I bring all of this up because I was reflecting today on the little hurts, temptations and frustrations of my life; the sleepless nights of juggling job, family, school, social life, etc.; I spent a wonderful weekend in the Bay Area and I was feeling too tired this morning to run; the fact that my stomach hurts is because this morning I found the remainder of my brother's Halloween candy and had that along with coffee and a quesidilla for brunch today instead of going for my usual Tuesday morning run, and now I am paying the price with a stomach ache....

and then I stopped to think: What would my Madrinha give for one more sleepless night with her daughter? What would the minutes we take for granted mean to them? So what I ate poorly this morning and have a tummy ache? At least I have the opportunity to get out and run it off this afternoon...I can make a conscious choice to eat better and live better RIGHT NOW.....at least I can choose what I WANT to eat unlike so many starving families, or those suffering with illnesses that require a strict diet or painful medication.

After reflecting on the struggles of others, and counting my blessings, almost like magic, my tummy no longer aches and I am no longer tired. My plan for the day is to offer my small sufferings as a gift or homage if you will in memory of or to honor those who can not get out and do what so many of us are blessed to do: walk, run, skip, jump, swim, climb, fly, reach, shoot, slide, read, write, sing, dance, PLAY, live, laugh, love!

So start that "Olympic Journal" RIGHT NOW....any journal will do; I suggest an Eco-friendly composition book (100 sheets, found at any staples store).....or a memo composition book at any drug store....then Decorate it front, back, inside and out with positive motivating pictures and words...stuff that when you look at it you want to write down all your dreams, goals, what you ate, drank and felt everyday......there are NO LIMITS on how creative you can be! And yes, I will be writing down that I bellied up to my brother's bag of milky ways and snickers for breakfast....I will own it, just like I will run an extra lap and make sure I have an extra 32 oz. of water per blooper to help me heal.

Remember: YOU are beautiful and YOU are LOVED!

Send pics of your journal art to share on sikchix.com!!!

Where 'Ya Gonna Go?

TO THE TOP!

I found this picture of me when going through my college stuff; its the summer of 2004 when I had the opportunity of a lifetime to play softball and sight see in Europe!

We took first place in Prague, second in Holland; I got to play left field and catcher.....what a joy!!

I have lifelong friends overseas now thanks to the unbelievable connection that sports gives us. I believe this is a picture of me in Belgium....mmmm.....chocolate.....and the sky is the limit!!!

I felt as tall as the buildings behind me!

Now reaching THE TOP is different for everyone;

for YOU it might be getting to Europe someday or as simple as getting out of bed; maybe your TOP is passing a class or graduating from High School so you can continue your higher education in college; or being a healthy Momma so you can keep up with your fast-paced schedule and family demands; whatever it is.....

your TOP is uniquely yours and can change....just like you can change your clothes, change your mind, or change your profile picture, YOU can make POSITIVE changes in your life to achieve your TOP performance!

It's blog time people....you might have thought that the holidays were approaching and that means THE TOP can wait - when actually, the holidays are the BEST time to set GOALS to reach THE TOP.

The holidays are a time when we hopefully can get a little time to ourselves (I know how hard that can be, my family is huge....I usually hide in the bathroom, don't tell anyone), or at the very least chat with loved ones, and friends about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.....SUPPORT from loving friends and family is KEY to SUCCESS in anything......sports, business, and life!

Together this is the beginning of a friendship that will motivate, inspire and encourage.....we will keep pushing each other positively forward every day!! We will introduce ourselves to each other, start "Olympic Journals" (don't be intimidated, this is for everyone at all levels of recreation), and be a sounding board for pictures and stories....so YOU can share your experiences loud and proud, even cheer on your fellow SISTA'S (and BROS, we don't discriminate here)!

In everything YOU do remember, little eyes are watching, looking up to YOU and we owe it to the next generation to do our very BEST in all things; our work, our play; Get out there and do it! People will follow your good example!

Sik Chix & NAT'S~B.A.T.S., LIVE IT! LOVE IT! SPREAD THE WORD!

NEVER GIVE UP!!!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: REMEMBER: "Impossible" means "I'm possible." - SARK